TWI866032B - Electric Cars - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric vehicle defines a reference plane passing through the center of a vehicle body from front to back, and includes two rear wheel units, a differential connected between the rear wheel units, a power unit, and a controller connected to the power unit. Each of the rear wheel units includes a rear wheel body and a rear axle connected to the individual rear wheel body. The differential is connected between the rear wheel axles. The power unit includes a motor having at least a portion overlapping with the reference plane, and a transmission mechanism connected to the motor. The controller is connected to the motor, and the center of gravity of the controller, the differential, and the transmission mechanism are located on the same side relative to the reference plane, so that the heavier motor can be balanced with the controller, the differential, and the transmission mechanism to optimize the weight balance of the electric vehicle.

Description

Electric Cars

The present invention relates to a vehicle, in particular to an electric vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional three-wheeled electric vehicle 1 is shown. The three-wheeled electric vehicle 1 comprises two rear wheels 11 spaced apart from each other laterally, two rear axles 12 respectively connected to the rear wheels 11 and extending toward each other, a differential 13 connected between the rear axles 12, a motor 14 for providing running power, and a transmission mechanism 15 connected between the differential 13 and the motor 14 and for transmitting kinetic energy. Among them, if a central reference plane A passing through the geometric center of the three-wheeled electric vehicle 1 in the front-rear direction is used as a reference, the differential 13 and the motor 14 are located on the same side relative to the central reference plane A, and the transmission mechanism 15 is located on the other side, thereby making the differential 13 relatively more centered, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing torque difference and improving output transmission efficiency.

However, as for the motor 14 used in the electric vehicle, the weight of the motor 14 is usually much greater than the sum of the differential 13 and the transmission mechanism 15. Therefore, when the motor 14 and the differential 13 are arranged on the same side relative to the central reference plane A, the left-right balance of the three-wheeled electric vehicle 1 is not ideal. In addition, since the motor 14 of the electric vehicle must be connected to a motor controller (not shown in FIG. 1 ) to be properly controlled, and the motor controller also has a certain weight, the overall weight balance of the three-wheeled electric vehicle 1 must also be considered together with the motor controller.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle with optimized counterweight balance.

[Technical means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the electric vehicle of the present invention defines a reference plane passing through the center of a vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and includes two rear wheel units, a differential connected between the rear wheel units, a power unit, and a controller connected to the power unit. Each of the rear wheel units includes a rear wheel body, and a rear axle connected to an individual rear wheel body and extending toward another rear wheel body. The differential is connected between the rear wheel axles. The power unit includes a motor for providing running power and having at least a portion overlapping with the reference plane, and a transmission mechanism connected to the motor. The controller is connected to the motor, and the center of gravity of the controller, the center of gravity of the differential, and the center of gravity of the transmission mechanism are located on the same side relative to the reference plane.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the reference plane is spaced apart from the rear wheel body to define two configuration areas, wherein the center of gravity of the motor is located in one of the configuration areas, and the center of gravity of the controller, the center of gravity of the differential, and the center of gravity of the transmission mechanism are located in another of the configuration areas.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the center of gravity of the motor is located in the right side of the configuration area, while the center of gravity of the controller, the center of gravity of the differential, and the center of gravity of the transmission mechanism are located in the left side of the configuration area.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is fixed to the power unit and is in an upright position with a lateral projection range larger than a longitudinal projection range.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric vehicle further comprises a frame unit, wherein the controller is fixed to the frame unit and is in an upright configuration with a lateral projection range larger than a longitudinal projection range.

In some embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the controller overlaps with the reference plane.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is located relatively rearward of the leading edge of the motor.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller has a body and a plurality of heat sinks formed outside the body.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric vehicle further comprises a frame unit, wherein the frame unit comprises a rear frame, a tilting mechanism connected to the front end of the rear frame, a front frame connected to the front end of the tilting mechanism, and a front wheel body.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric vehicle further comprises two front wheel bodies spaced laterally from each other.

[Effects that can be achieved by the present invention]

The electric vehicle of the present invention arranges the motor, the controller, the differential, and the transmission mechanism on opposite sides of the reference plane, respectively, so that the heavier motor can be balanced with the controller, the differential, and the transmission mechanism, thereby optimizing the overall weight balance of the electric vehicle.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is configured upright and close to the reference plane representing the central reference of the electric vehicle, which helps to concentrate the center of gravity more toward the center and further optimize the overall weight balance.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is fixed to the motor which is heavier and has a relatively low configuration, so as to lower the overall center of gravity of the electric vehicle.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is fixed to the frame unit to reduce the shaking of the controller during driving and reduce the probability of the controller malfunctioning.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is specifically a control device for controlling the operation of the motor. When the controller can achieve a heat dissipation effect through the heat sink, the stability of the control can be optimized.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the tilting mechanism between the rear frame and the front frame enables the front frame to tilt and swing relative to the rear frame, thereby improving the handling and cornering performance of the electric vehicle.

In some embodiments of the present invention, it is also applicable to a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle in which the front frame connects the two front wheel bodies.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are represented by the same reference numerals in the following description.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , a first embodiment of the electric vehicle EV of the present invention is shown, in which a reference plane B passing through the center of a vehicle body along the front-rear direction is defined. The first embodiment includes a frame unit 2, two rear wheel units 3 installed on the electric vehicle EV, a differential 4 connected between the rear wheel units 3, a power unit 5 for providing running power, and a controller 6 connected to the power unit 5. Specifically, the first embodiment is a three-wheeled electric vehicle equipped with a front wheel body 24 and two rear wheel units 3.

The frame unit 2 is mainly made of metal material, thereby forming the main supporting structure of the first embodiment, and includes a rear frame 21, a tilting mechanism 22 connected to the front end of the rear frame 21, and a front frame 23 connected to the front end of the tilting mechanism 22. Through the tilting mechanism 22, the front frame 23 can be tilted and swung relative to the rear frame 21, thereby improving the controllability and steering performance of the first embodiment.

Each rear wheel unit 3 includes a rear wheel body 31 and a rear wheel axle 32 connected to each rear wheel body 31 and extending toward another rear wheel body 31. The differential 4 is connected between the rear wheel axles 32, so that when turning in the first embodiment, the rear wheel bodies 31 can run at different speeds to reduce the radius of rotation and optimize the turning performance. The reference plane B is spaced from the rear wheel bodies 31 on the left and right sides to define two configuration areas Z located on the left and right sides, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the power unit 5 includes a motor 51 for providing operating power, and a transmission mechanism 52 connected between the motor 51 and the differential 4. At least a portion of the motor 51 overlaps with the reference plane B, that is, the motor 51 is as close as possible to the relative center of the first embodiment as a whole. The transmission mechanism 52 is specifically a transmission gear set for transmitting kinetic energy, which is used to transmit the power of the motor 51 to the differential 4, and then to the rear wheel unit 3.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 3 , the controller 6 is fixed on the power unit 5 and connected to the motor 51 to control the operation of the motor 51. The projection range of the controller 6 in the lateral direction is larger than the projection range in the longitudinal direction, and at least a part of the controller 6 overlaps with the reference plane B. In other words, the controller 6 is in an upright shape with a narrower lateral width and a higher longitudinal height. By making the controller 6 upright and close to the reference plane B representing the center of the first embodiment, the center of gravity can be closer to the center. In addition, because the controller 6 is fixed on the power unit 5 with a heavier weight and a lower configuration, the overall center of gravity of the first embodiment can be lowered to optimize the controllability.

It is worth mentioning that the controller 6 is arranged at the rear of a front edge 511 of the motor 51 as shown in FIG. 3 and has a body 61 and a plurality of heat sinks 62 formed outside the body 61. In addition to optimizing ventilation and heat dissipation by arranging the controller 6 in the rear space, the heat sinks 62 increase the contact area with the outside world, further optimizing the heat dissipation performance, and ensuring the stability of the control of the operation of the motor 51.

As shown in FIG. 4 , in the same direction as when driving, considering that the weight of the motor 51 is greater than the sum of the weight of the controller 6, the differential 4, and the transmission mechanism 52, the motor 51 is placed as close to the reference plane B as possible and is disposed alone in the configuration area ZR located on the right side. Through the concept of torque balance, the controller 6, the differential 4, and the transmission mechanism 52 are all disposed in the configuration area ZL located on the left side opposite to the motor 51, and the total torque of the weight multiplied by the lateral distance from the reference plane B is matched to balance the total torque of the motor 51. In this way, the counterweights on the left and right sides of the reference plane B in the rear half of the rear wheel units 3 that actively provide power in the first embodiment can be more balanced.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , a second embodiment of the electric vehicle EV of the present invention is shown. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the controller 6 is fixed to the frame unit 2. The controller 6 of the second embodiment is directly fixed to the rear frame 21, so it is less likely to shake during driving, which can reduce the probability of failure caused by shaking, thereby making the controller 6 more stable in controlling the operation of the motor 51.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a third embodiment of the electric vehicle EV of the present invention is shown. The difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is that the electric vehicle EV further includes two front wheels 24 spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction. In other words, the third embodiment of the electric vehicle EV of the present invention is a four-wheel electric vehicle equipped with four wheels, more specifically, a four-wheel electric all-terrain vehicle, thereby enabling the third embodiment to meet the driving needs of more diverse terrains. In addition, the third embodiment can achieve the same effect of optimizing weight balance as the first embodiment.

In summary, the electric vehicle EV of the present invention arranges the motor 51, the controller 6, the differential 4, and the transmission mechanism 52 on opposite sides relative to the reference plane B, so that the heavier motor 51 can achieve left-right balance with the controller 6, the differential 4, and the transmission mechanism 52 in terms of torque, thereby optimizing the overall weight balance of the electric vehicle of the present invention. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

However, the above is only an example of the implementation of the present invention, and it should not be used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the patent specification are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

2··············· Frame unit 21············· Rear frame 22············· Tilt mechanism 23············· Front frame 24············· Front wheel body 3··············· Rear wheel unit 31············· Rear wheel body 32············· Rear axle 4··············· Differential 5················ Power unit 51·············· Motor 511············ Front edge 52·············· Transmission mechanism 6··············· Controller 61·············· Main body 62·············· Heat sink EV············· Electric vehicle B··············· Base plane Z·············· Configuration area ZR, ZL····· Configuration area

Other features and functions of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional three-wheeled electric vehicle; FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a first embodiment of the electric vehicle of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating a frame unit and two rear wheel units of the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a rear view illustrating the relative configuration of a differential, a power unit, and a controller of the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a second embodiment of the electric vehicle of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a rear view illustrating the controller of the second embodiment being fixed to the frame unit; and FIG. 7 is a top view illustrating a third embodiment of the electric vehicle of the present invention.

3··············· Rear wheel unit 31············· Rear wheel body 32············· Rear wheel axle 4··············· Differential 5················ Power unit 51············· Motor 52············· Transmission mechanism 6··············· Controller 61·············· Body 62·············· Heat sink B··············· Datum surface ZR、ZL····· Configuration area

Claims (9)

An electric vehicle defines a reference plane passing through the center of a vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and includes: two rear wheel units, each of which includes a rear wheel body and a rear wheel axle connected to the individual rear wheel body and extending toward the other rear wheel body, and the rear wheel bodies define two configuration areas with the reference plane respectively; a differential connected between the rear wheel axles of the rear wheel units; a power unit, including a motor for providing running power and having at least a portion overlapping with the reference plane, and a transmission mechanism connected to the motor, the center of gravity of the motor is located in one of the configuration areas; and a controller connected to the motor, and the center of gravity of the controller, the center of gravity of the differential, and the center of gravity of the transmission mechanism are located together in the other configuration area. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the motor is located in the right side of the configuration area, and the center of gravity of the controller, the center of gravity of the differential, and the center of gravity of the transmission mechanism are located in the left side of the configuration area. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is fixed to the power unit and is in an upright position with a lateral projection range larger than a longitudinal projection range. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1 further comprises a frame unit, wherein the controller is fixed to the frame unit and is in an upright configuration with a lateral projection range larger than a longitudinal projection range. An electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a portion of the controller overlaps with the reference plane. An electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is located relatively rearward of the front edge of the motor. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the controller has a body and a plurality of heat sinks formed outside the body. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1 further comprises a frame unit, wherein the frame unit comprises a rear frame, a tilting mechanism connected to the front end of the rear frame, a front frame connected to the front end of the tilting mechanism, and a front wheel body. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1 also includes two front wheels spaced laterally from each other.

Images